UNRAVEL | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 1)

[ 06 ]

The boats carrying the first-year students travelled across the black lake, the steady waters flowing so gently and the view of Hogwarts castle welcomed them. In that fleeting moment of awe and excitement, the students soon reached the dock and continued into the castle. 

It was full of historical architecture, and the thousand of sculptures running all the way to the ceiling seemed very reliable and almost like the protectors of the school. The students walked up the marble stairways and were then greeted by a rather old woman with glasses, wearing green velvety robes with her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She was looking stern, but nevertheless, wore a welcoming smile on her wrinkled face. "Welcome to Hogwarts!" she greeted. "Now, in a few moments, you will be walking through these doors and meeting your schoolmates."

She continued, "But before you can take your seats you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." Aine's heart was pounding inside her walls, and beside her stood Ginny Weasley, who she had met earlier when arriving at the dock. 

"What house do you think you'll be in?" she asks

Aine shrugs, she didn't know where she wanted to be or where she'll fit in. "I... I don't know, really. I mean, my dad was a Gryffindor... And, I'm fine with being in Gryffindor too, but I honestly don't know."

"What about your mom?" Ginny asked curiously and Aine stiffens up. 

She didn't really know much about her mom since she had grown up without a mother. It was always her father and her in her home. All she knew was that every time she asked her father about her mother, his face would always be shadowed by a look she didn't quite understand. And he would often give her a very sad smile, and say nothing more than 'she... left'. She bit her lips, looking down at her black leather shoes, "I don't know," she says, looking up with a bitter smile. 

Ginny chose not to pry after noting the small sad smile on Aine, she only stared at Luna who was just standing beside them. Her head was up and looking at every nook and cranny of the castle, not really paying much attention to their conversation. 

"Well, what about you?" Aine asks Ginny.

The redhead smiled, "Probably Gryffindor. My whole family was Gryffindors, so there's a high chance I might be in that house too." 

"Well, let's still be friends even if we get separated into different houses," Aine says and Ginny and Luna both nod along, promising each other.

The lady went on and mentioned that achievements will earn them house points and any rules broken will have their points taken away from them. During the end-of-year feast, the house that receives the most points wins the house cup. 

Soon, the doors swung open and the great hall greets them as they entered. It was lit with flames and they walked down the extremely long tables dividing each house. And at the end of the hall, sitting below the array of huge glass-stained windows was another long table, in which all of the teachers sat. 

Aine scans the hall, looking very nervous at all the eyes looking at them, and then she looks up where the ceiling hung candles and was bewitched to look like a sky. It was beautiful and a smile crept on her face. Then, they stopped before a podium that had an owl sculpture with its wings spread open and a chair beside it with a rather ragged-looking hat.

"Now, when I call your name, you will come up and I will place this sorting hat on you," the lady announced, then proceeding on with the scroll in her hands, she called each student, one by one.

"Liliana Johannes."

The brunette bob girl shyly approached the chair and sat down, and the lady placed the hat above her head. Its wrinkled leather soon formed a face and it spoke, "Hufflepuff!"